Controversy arose when an 18-year-old Scottish tourist named Lucy Clode posted screenshots of private messages on Instagram and texts she swapped with the 35-year-old actor.

According to the exchange, the two first met at the stage door for his Broadway show Of Mice and Men, which he is currently starring in.

After telling her to tag him in the pictures, he reached out to the teen via Instagram and proceeded to ask Lucy a series of questions—like how long she was in New York and whether or not she had a boyfriend.

Interestingly enough, the first trailer for James’ flick Palo Alto—which tells the story of an inappropriate relationship between a teacher (played by James) and a student (Emma Roberts) was released this week, prompting some to believe the whole scandal is an elaborate publicity stunt for the film.